What problems does litter cause?

Question

What problems does litter cause?

Answer 1

Depends on what it is. My elderly mum recently slipped on a takeaway food wrapper and broke her shoulder. She was in hospital for 4 weeks and still doesn't have full use of her right arm and she's right-handed. Her confidence has gone completely and she's frightened to go out in case she has another fall. All this for a piece of litter dropped by someone who was too selfish to dispose of it thoughtfully.

Answer 2

it is really the organic waste that is trapped between the trash that causes 70% of all contamination ,littere is principally ugly

and enough of it blocks drainage systems which trap the rotting organics ,a plastic bottle as such does not really kill anything but it provides a microclimate for bacterial growth.or can act as a lens to start a fire.and lots of bottles in a river obstruct the flow and trap other material behind

so the bad effects are more physical than biological

Answer 3

Toxoplasmosis. (Not sure if I spelled it correctly)

Answer 4

smell,rats,disease

Answer 5

It can be an eyesore, a health hazard, a waste of resources, and it can kill and otherwise harm animals like turtles, bears, alligators, sharks, etc.

Answer 6

generally pollution which include deceases,smell etc etc

Answer 7

Toxic problems,smell (ewwww),rats, diseases, unsightly senary, stuff eventually gets into the water system (before reaching water wells and water towers). It makes a place look like the town/city dump. Trash isn't to be littered. It's not legal. Put litter in it's place, not along the roads. They have dumpsters you can dispose of, also landfills. Landfills were made for such purpose. Litter causes enviremental problems, if you don't care about your health & well being, us others do. It's makes woods & roadsides look like "dumpville".

Answer 8

One thing is that it can be dangerous for wildlife as well as dirty and unhygienic

Answer 9

'People drop litter every minute of every day.  The problem is huge - and costly.  For example, Wastewatch estimate that in London, a tonne of litter is dropped every minute - costing £100 million to clear up, and local councils spend approximately £332 million each year on cleaning the streets of the UK.  Litter is unsightly - litter dropped around the district causes a blight on the landscape.    Litter doesn't just disappear!  If litter is not picked up, items will take many years to decompose. For example: -

Banana skins / fruit peelings - 2 years

Cigarette ends - 2 years

Drinks cans - 80 - 100 years

Plastic carrier bags - 10 years

Glass - 100 000 years

Plastic bottles - indefinite

Litter is also dangerous - to people and animals.  RSPCA inspectors regularly rescue pets and wild animals trapped or hurt by litter.  Animals are suffering unnecessarily due to carelessly discarded litter.'

Visit the website below for more info regarding the above, also re dog fouling, car litter and cigaretter litter.